PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan — A resident and his girlfriend here — who opted to celebrate Christmas in El Nido got the surprise of their lives after they were served bulalo — as the traditional beef broth given to them was allegedly filled with maggots.

The incident in El Nido just before Christmas gained widespread attention after Karl Jarre Buyante posted a photo of it on 24 December in the El Nido Forum, a platform dedicated to various topics concerning the town.

In the shared photo, small white larvae can be seen floating in the half-finished bulalo.

"Today in El Nido, I had a disappointing experience at a bulalo restaurant. My girlfriend and I were quite shocked when we found multiple larvae floating up from the inside of the meat in our dish," said Buyante in his post.

While not identifying the restaurant, Buyante appealed to local food establishments in the town to ensure the cleanliness of the dishes they are selling and serving customers as he stressed the critical need for clean and safe food in local restaurants, especially given El Nido's heavy reliance on tourism.

"I'm making this post as a reminder to all local restaurant owners and employees: Serving [clean] and safe food is at least a [basic] necessity. El Nido thrives on tourism, and issues like this should not be overlooked. Please, let's uphold high standards in food hygiene for the well-being of our guests and the reputation of our community," Buyante said.

In response on 26 December, El Nido's Municipal Health Officer Dr. Jo-Ann Huerto expressed their intention to tackle the recent social media report, but due to the lack of detailed information from the complainant necessary for an investigation, they are presently unable to take action on the complaint.

"We want to assure the public that we are taking this matter seriously. The Municipal Health Office is actively reaching out to the individual who posted the claims on social media in order to gather more information and investigate the incident thoroughly," Huerto said.

"We believe that it is crucial to have all the necessary details and evidence in order to take appropriate measures," she added.

The health officer also stressed that they hold the opinions and worries of both tourists and locals in high regard and place their health and safety at the forefront and urged Buyante — who raised the complaint, as well as others who might have encountered similar issues — to step forward with relevant details, to enable them to effectively deal with such situations.

"We remain committed to upholding high hygiene and food safety standards in our community, and we will take the necessary steps to ensure that this incident is thoroughly investigated and addressed. Thank you for your understanding as we work towards resolving this matter," Huerto said.